


Tin Lizzie

by sagelabyrinth



Category: Mindhunter (TV 2017)
Genre: Bullying, Childhood, small panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2020-09-27 16:00:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20410447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagelabyrinth/pseuds/sagelabyrinth
Summary: Holden always hated his father for carrying the name Ford. Well, that was one of his reasons for hating him, anyways.





	Tin Lizzie

Holden always hated his father for carrying the name Ford. Well, that was one of his reasons for hating him, anyways.

It all started in 3rd grade when Tommy Pickins dubbed him "Tin Lizzie", apparently Tommy had a fascination with old cars and found the correlation.  
Once the other children had caught wind of this, Holden was done for. Tin Lizzie was soon shortened to just Lizzie, which in return caused the other kids to tease Holden about being a girl. Which was one of the worst insults to a 9-year-old boy.

It also didn't help that Holden had a small figure. He didn't eat much and couldn't put on muscle. Holden also favored his mother, so much of his personality was adopted from her, along with her mannerisms.

The teasing was nothing too major, just annoying. Like whenever Holden would go to the restroom, other boys in there would say the girl's room is to the right, or when girls and boys would be separated in gym all the girls would flock to Holden. This carried on well into highschool. Though it got worse around that time.

In 10th grade, teen boys showed no mercy. They would stick pads onto his locker, or write 'Lizzie' on it with lipstick. Holden didn't understand why the nickname was funny anymore. It was sort of humorous when they were 9, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why it was still funny to others.

He would tragically come to find out that the reason it amused them so much was that it was supposed to embarrass him.

It was autumn of 1964, 16-year-old Holden Ford was excited about the new school year. Hopefully, a new opportunity to make some friends, Holden really wanted some friends. Or maybe even a girlfriend if he was lucky.  
All of those hopes were quickly crushed after first-period gym class.

Holden had just gotten out of the showers when two boys grabbed his arms.

"What the fuck?" Holden asked, confused and a little scared.

Another boy had come up from the left of him and pulled something over his face. Holden tried to break free of their grip, however, struggling got him nowhere.

By the time Holden had gotten his barrings, he was forcibly pushed into the hallways in nothing but a dress just in time for the bell to ring and kids to come flooding out of their classes.  
There was nowhere for the young boy to go, the bullies had blocked the doorway he came from and there were kids everywhere.

Laughter soon filled Holden's ears as heat from embarrassment flooded his cheeks.

Holden felt his chest tighten, his legs began tingling and gave out. He had pushed himself up against the wall, wheezing, head between his knees. He couldn't breathe. Either the laughter had ceased or his brain shut it out because he couldn't hear it anymore.

Next thing he knew there was a firm, but not aggressive, hand on his shoulder.

"Son?" A man asked, he couldn't place who though.

Holden kept wheezing, the air was like a foreign object his body wouldn't allow to enter it.

"Son?" The man asked again, shaking Holden a little bit, "It's Principal Dunn."

Holden's brain must've kicked itself back on because he looked up at the man, tears streaming down his face.

"Come on." The principal said, guiding Holden onto his feet and into the locker rooms.

Once Holden had gotten changed, he sat in Mr. Dunn's office, not wheezing anymore but he still couldn't seem to stop the tears.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" The older man implored. Holden took a shaky breath before he started

"A couples of guys grabbed me after I got out the shower and forced a dress on me." his voice was so monotone, so defeated.

Principal Dunn had sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Holden, you've got to start sticking up for yourself."

A pang of guilt rushed over the boy, he looked towards the floor.

"This type of stuff has been happening to you for years. Never once have I seen you defend yourself." Dunn continued.

"I know sir, I'm sorry." The guilt in his voice must've evident because Dunn leaned over his desk and whispered to Holden,

"I'm not one you should apologize to, apologize to yourself."

Holden's heart was thumping hard as he left the principal's office, not wanting to face any of his peers.

"Hey look, it's Crybaby Ford!" A boy yelled, followed by a few chuckles. The boy walked up to Holden and continued, "What's wrong? Gonna cry again?" His friends laughed.

Holden tried to move past him but was stopped, "Where ya goin'? Home to mommy?"

The words "stick up for yourself." kept replaying in Holden's head.  
"

I bet he misses his mommy"

Stick up for yourself.

"You look like you're gonna cry again, do you want a bedtime story to make you feel better?"

Stick up for yourself.

"I bet he still wets the be-"

The boy was cut off by Holden's fist colliding with his face.

Over and over again.

He was on top of the boy's chest.

He was crying.

The boy was crying too.

Holden couldn't compel himself to stop.

He was pulled off of the other boy.

No one fucked with him after that though.

"Okay, I gotta ask, what is 'Model-T'?" Bill inquired.

"It's code, for Ford." Holden stated matter-of-factly.

"How about I call you Tin Lizzie?" Bill smiled.

Holden clenched his jaw, he sat up straight and turned to Bill with a defiant glare.

"I might just shoot you."


End file.
